ir, a
chest of drawers, a wash-hand-stand and a table.

The latter is spread for dinner, and I sit down. Then the cook's mate
comes in with two or three dishes. He is a colored lad, and as he is
about to withdraw, I try to question him, but he, too, vouchsafes no
reply. Perhaps he doesn't understand me.

The door is closed, and I fall to and eat with an excellent appetite,
with the intention of putting off all further questioning till some
future occasion when I shall stand a chance of getting answered.

It is true I am a prisoner, but this time I am comfortable enough, and
I hope I shall be permitted to occupy this cabin for the remainder of
the voyage, and not be lowered into that black hole again.

I now give myself up to my thoughts, the first of which is that it was
the Count d'Artigas who planned the abduction; that it was he who is
responsible for the kidnapping of Thomas Roch, and that consequently
the French inventor must be just as comfortably installed somewhere on
board the schooner.

But who is this Count d'Artigas? Where does he hail from? If he has
seized Thomas Roch, is it not because he is determined to secure the
secret of the fulgurator at no matter what cost? Very likely, and I
must therefore be careful not to betray my identity, for if they knew
the truth, I should never be afforded a chance to get away.

But what a lot of mysteries to clear up, how many inexplicable things
to explain--the origin of this d'Artigas, his intentions as to the
future, whither we are bound, the port to which the schooner belongs,
and this mysterious progress through the water without sails and
without screws, at a speed of at least ten knots an hour!

The air becoming keener as night deepens, I close and secure the
port-hole, and as my cabin is bolted on the outside, the best thing I
can do is to get into my bunk and let myself be gently rocked to sleep
by the broad Atlantic in this mysterious cradle, the _Ebba_.

The next morning I rise at daybreak, and having performed my
ablutions, dress myself and wait.

Presently the idea of trying the door occurs to me. I find that it has
been unbolted, and pushing it open, climb the iron ladder and emerge
on deck.

The crew are washing down the deck, and standing aft and conversing
are two men, one of whom is the captain. The latter manifests no
surprise at seeing me, and indicates my presence to his companion by a
nod.

This other man, whom I have never before seen,